First of all David, let me say I really appreciate your posts, above. I never realized Russell, or the WTS had made such comments on the subject of evolution. Very enlightening to me.
In my opinion, the reluctance of the rank and file JW to be drawn into certain discussions betrays something very fundemental about their acedemic agenda. JWs are coached to a far greater extent than they are taught,anything. Not unlike a football team, they will design certain offenses to attack what they consider to be certain doctrinal weakness in their opponent's defenses and vice versa with defenses to the opponent's offenses. They draw up and practice hypothetical allignments and positions and are coached in the use of selected scriptural texts and arguments until they are confident to venture onto the playing field, assuming most of those they encounter will be inferior and defenseless. But when, rarely, they happen to encounter a truly worthy opponent who presents an offense for which they have no designed and practiced defense, their scholastic prowess is quickly shown to be quite superficial. And, to me, it's really sad. All those hours of meetings and preparation for meetings, week after week, year after year, and all the vast majority of them have to show for it is just a facade of spirituality and scriptural understanding.